Add-a-drawer filing cabinet



March 18, 1969 P. A. HOAGLUND 3,433,547

ADD-A-DRAWER FILING CABINET Filed May 12, 1966 Sheet L of 2 39 v FIG. 1 35 y '34 4 492 '39 37 4, 393 37 2 a, I 3

P/g /l. A. HOAGLUND AT .TOR'NEYS March 18,1969 P. A. HOAGLUND 3,433,547

ADD-A-DRAWER FILING CABINET Filed May 12. 1966 Sheet 2 of2 V I4- INVENTOR PA gL A. HOAGLUND ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,433,547 ADD-A-DRAWER FILING CABINET Paul A. Hoaglund, Hopkins, Minn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to International Computer Appliances Corporation, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed May 12, 1966, Ser. No. 549,515

US. Cl. 312111 Int. Cl. A47b 47/00 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Summary of the invention An important object of this invention is the provision of a cabinet structure which can be quickly and easily enlarged or reduced as to capacity in accordance with varying storage requirements, which utilizes a minimum of material to achieve extreme rigidity and strength, and which presents a smooth, even exterior appearance. To the above ends, the cabinet of this invention involves cabinet section means comprising a plurality of like rectangular U-shaped section frames each defining an open front, each frame being formed from sheet metal into laterally spaced side portions and a connecting back portion defining inwardly opening channels having a flat vertical outer wall and horizontal upper and lower flanges, said flanges having means for connection to adjacent flanges of an overlying or underlying frame. A pair of reinforcing ribs are mounted one each within a different one of the channels defined by the side portions, and a drawer is slidably mounted at its opposite sides on said ribs, each drawer having a front wall closing the open front of its respective U-shaped frame. The superposed frames are mounted on a rectangular base, and a rectangular cover overlies and is secured to the uppermost frame.

Description of the drawings Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the invention, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of a cabinet produced in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in vertical section, taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG. 1, in assembled form, some parts being broken away;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, in assembled form, some parts being broken away; and

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2, on a reduced scale, some parts being broken away and some parts being removed.

Referring with greater detail to the drawings, a storage and filing cabinet produced in accordance with this invention is shown as comprising a generally rectangular base 1, a pair of cabinet sections 2 and 3 disposed in superposed relationship to the base 1, and a rectangular top or cover element 4 overlying the upper cabinet section 3. Preferably, the base 1, cabinet sections 2 and 3 and cover element 4 are, for the most part, made from sheet metal, as hereinafter described. The base 1 is formed to provide a generally horizontally disposed bottom wall 5, front and rear walls 6 and 7, and opposed side walls 8. The upper ends of the walls 6-8 are inturned to provide horizontally disposed front and rear flanges 9 and 10, respectively, and side flanges 11.

The cabinet sections 2 and 3 are substantially identical. Hence, for the sake of brevity but one thereof will be described in detail. Each of the cabinet sections comprises a generally rectangular U-shaped frame corresponding generally in length and width to the base 1 and formed to provide laterally spaced vertical side wall portions 12, a rear wall portion 13, and an open front. The front ends of the side wall portions 12 are inturned to provide narrow front panels 14 and inturned flanges 15 which define opposite ends of the open front. The upper and lower edge portions of the side walls 12 and rear wall 13 are inturned to provide horizontal top and bottom flanges 16 and 17 respectively, the top flanges 16 adjacent the side walls 12 being connected by a brace member or bar 18 welded thereto intermediate the front and rear ends of the side walls 12, to provide a rigid frame structure.

The side wall portions 12, with their respective top and bottom flanges 16 and 17 define laterally inwardly opening channels for reception of cross sectionally generally U-shaped reinforcing ribs 19 that extend longitudinally each within a different one of the channels and which are formed to provide flanges 20 that are spot welded or otherwise rigidly secured to adjacent ones of the wall portions 12. A filing or storage drawer 21 is mounted between the ribs 19 for horizontal sliding movements through the open front of the frame by means of conventional drawer slides 22, portions of which are secured to the reinforcing ribs 19 by machine screws or the like 23. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the drawer 21 is provided with longitudinal and transverse partition elements 24 for reception of articles to be filed away or stored, the drawer 21 including a front panel 25 having secured thereto a handle 26, the panel 25 normally closing the open front of the cabinet section frame.

The top and bottom flanges 16 and 17, respectively, adjacent the side wall portions 12, are provided with aligned openings 27 and 28 respectively, the side flanges 11 of the base 1 having openings 29 aligned with the openings 27 and 28. Screw threaded nut elements 30 are welded to the undersurfaces of the top flanges 17 in register with the openings 27 thereof, for a purpose which will hereinafter be described. The frame of the lowermost cabinet section 2 is rigidly secured to the base 1 by tack welding the bottom flange 17 thereof to the flanges 10 and 11, as indicated at 31 in FIGS. 2, 3.

The cover element 4 is similar to the base 1 in inverted form, comprising a top wall 32, front and rear walls 33 and 34 respectively, and side walls 35. The lower edge portions of the front, rear and side walls of the cover element 4 are inturned to provide a horizontally disposed peripheral flange 36. The top wall 32, and those portions of the flange 36 adjacent the side walls 35 are formed to provide respective openings 37 and 38 that are axially aligned with corresponding openings 27 and 28 in an underlying cabinet section frame, as shown, the cabinet section 3. The cover element 4 is releasably anchored or locked to the underlying cabinet section 3 by anchoring screws 39 extending downwardly through the openings 37, 38 and 27 and screw threaded into the underlying nut elements 30, as shown in FIG. 3.

The frame of the cabinet section 2 is releasably locked or anchored to the underlying frame of the cabinet section 2 by a plurality of anchoring studs 40 that are screw threaded into the nut elements 30 of the underlying top flanges 16 and which project upwardly through the openings 28 in the bottom flanges 17 of the cabinet section 3. The studs 40 rigidly hold the cabinet sections 2 and 3 against lateral movements relative to each other, the cabinet sections 2 and 3 being held against relative vertical movements by a plurality of generally U-shaped spring clips 41 that are snapped over the adjacent flanges 16 and 17, as shown in FIGS. 2-4. The clips 41 are of a Well known commercially available type, having barbs or teeth 42 which prevent accidental removal thereof from the engaged portions of the cabinet sections 2 and 3. With the cabinet section 3 thus mounted on the lower cabinet section 2, and the cover element 4 secured to the top of the frame of the cabinet section 3, the front walls 6 and 33, the front panels 14 and drawer panels 25 cooperate to form the front wall of the cabinet, the rear walls 7 and 34 and rear wall portions 13 forming the rear wall of the cabinet. The opposite side walls of the cabinet are formed by the side walls 8 of the base 1, side wall portions 12 of the sections 2 and 3 and side walls 35 of the cover element 4.

The cabinet structure is supported by a plurality of supporting feet 43 underlying the base 1 and having threaded shanks 44 that extend upwardly through openings 45 in the bottom wall that are aligned with respective ones of the openings 29 in the side flanges 11, and through said openings 29 and corresponding openings 28 in the bottom flange 17 of the cabinet section 2, the upper end portions of the shanks 44 being screw threaded into nut elements 46 rigidly secured to the ribs 19 of the lowermost cabinet section 2. The threaded engagement of the shanks 44 with the nut elements 46 permits vertical adjustment of each supporting foot 43 independently of the others thereof so that the cabinet may be steadily supported on uneven surfaces. Further, the bottom Wall 5 being downwardly spaced from the flanges 11, the same adds lateral support to the shanks 44 to add to the rigidity of support of the cabinet.

The above-described cabinet structure is shown as including two superposed drawers each mounted in its own cabinet section. However, as a basic or starting structure, the cabinet may be assumed to comprise only the cabinet section 2 with its base 1 and the cover element 4 mounted directly on the top wall portion of the cabinet section frame 2, making the same a one-drawer cabinet. Then, when more cabinet space is required, the anchoring screws 39 are removed and the cover element 4 displaced and as many additional cabinet sections as required are mounted in superposed relation to the lowermost cabinet section 2 by means of anchoring screws 40 and spring clips 41, as above described, the cover element 4 being replaced on the top of the uppermost cabinet section. With this arrangement, as many cabinet sections may be releasably locked together in superposed relationship as space will permit. It will be appreciated that, by providing the several sections, each with its own outer wall portions cooperating with those of the other sections to provide the outer side walls of the cabinet and having but a single cover element for the entire group of sections, the cabinet can be produced at low cost. Further, and if desired, a weight 47, of iron, lead or the like, may be secured within the base 1 adjacent the rear wall 7 thereof, to counterbalance the weight of an opened drawer.

This invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the objectives set forth; and, while I have shown and described a commercial embodiment of my cabinet structure, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cabinet comprising:

(a) cabinet section means including a generally rectangular U-shaped frame formed from sheet metal to provide laterally spaced sides, a back and an open front,

(b) said sides and back each defining inwardly opening channels having generally vertical outer wall portions and generally horizontal top and bottom flanges,

(c) a pair of substantially U-shaped reinforcing ribs each secured to and extending longitudinally within the channel of a different one of said sides between the top and bottom flanges of said sides,

(d) a drawer slidably mounted to said ribs for opening and closing movements through said front of the frame, said drawer having a front panel normally closing said open front of the frame,

(e) a generally rectangular base corresponding generally to the length and width of said frame and rigidly secured to said bottom flanges thereof,

(f) a generally rectangular cover element overlying said cabinet section means,

(g) said cover element and the top and bottom flanges of said sides having a plurality of aligned openings therethrough,

(h) a plurality of threaded nut elements secured to said top flanges in axial alignment with the openings therein,

(i) and means including anchoring screws extending through said cover element openings and top flange openings of the underlying frame and screw threaded into the nut elements thereof to releasably anchor said top element to said underlying frame,

(j) said outer frame wall portions cooperating to define side and rear Wall portions of said cabinet.

2. A cabinet comprising:

(a) cabinet section means including a plurality of superposed rectangular U-shaped frames each formed from sheet material to provide laterally spaced sides, a back and an open front,

(b) said sides and back each defining inwardly opening channels having vertical outer wall portions and horizontal top and bottom flanges,

(c) a plurality of substantially U-shaped reinforcing ribs each secured to and extending longitudinally within the channel of a different one of said sides between the top and bottom flanges of said sides,

(d) a plurality of drawers each slidably mounted to the ribs of a different wall of said frames for opening and closing movements through the open fronts of said frames, said drawers having front panels closing the open fronts of their respective frames.

(e) a rectangular cover element overlying the uppermost one of said frames,

(f) means for releasably locking said frames together in superposed relationship against movements rela tive to each other laterally inwardly of said outer wall portions,

(g) and means for releasably locking said cover element to the uppermost one of said frames and including a portion of said means for locking said frames together,

(h) said outer wall portions of the superposed frames cooperating to define the side and rear walls of said cabinet.

3. The cabinet defined in claim 2 in which at least some of the said top and bottom frame flanges have aligned openings therethrough, said openings in each frame being aligned with corresponding openings in a frame superposed thereon and in said cover element, said means for releasably locking said frames together including a plurality of threaded nut elements secured to said top flanges each in alignment with a different one of said openings, and anchoring studs screw threaded in said nut element of each of the frames except the uppermost one thereof, said studs extending upwardly therethrough and through aligned openings in the lower flanges of an overlying frame, said cover element having openings therethrough Euyipapun oq u; sfiuruodo Surpuodserroo qum poufiua frames, said means for releasably locking the cover element to said uppermost frame comprising anchoring screws extending downwardly through said openings and screw threaded in the nut elements of said uppermost frame, said anchoring screws having thread dimensions equal to those of said anchoring studs.

4. The cabinet defined in claim 3, characterized by a generally rectangular base member rigidly secured to the lower flanges of the lowermost one of said frames, said base member having openings therethrough aligned with said openings in the frames, and a plurality of supporting feet underlying said base member and having threaded shanks extending upwardly through said base member openings and through corresponding ones of the openings in the bottom flanges of said lowermost frame, said lowermost frame having nut elements secured thereto for reception of said shanks, said base member providing lateral support for said shanks below said lowermost frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 819,913 5/1906 McKenzie 312-111 1,294,087 2/ 1919 Gottwals 312107 1,514,992 11/1924 Schmitz 312-111 1,698,578 1/1929 Bergmann 212107 1,809,602 6/1931 Raster 312107 2,245,026 6/ 1941 Zalkind 312111 2,277,155 3/ 1942 Scheinman 312111 3,003,839 10/1961 Bloom et a1. 312-111 BOBBY R. GRAY, Primary Examiner. J. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

